Army-2018: Russian-made Kronshtadt Group Orion-E MALE UAS.

Russian Company Kronshtadt Group showcases the Orion-E unmanned aerial vehicle MALE (Medium Altitude Long-Endurance) designed for air reconnaissance at the Army-2018 International Military-Technical Forum. The Orion-E seems very similar to the American-made Predator and could be armed according to our first analysis.

Kronshtadt Group Orion-E UAS MALE at Army-2018, International Military Technical Forum in Patriotic Park Expo, Moscow Region, Russia. (Picture source Army Recognition)

According to the Company, the Orion-E was fully designed and developed in Russian using local-made components. This new generation of UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) is intended for export market and is expected to be ready for production by 2020.

The Orion-E has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,000 kilograms, standard payload of 60 kilograms, maximum payload of 200 kilograms, horizontal flight speed of 120-200 km/h, direct vision engagement range of 250 kilometers and the range with unmanned transponder of 300 kilometers.

A typical Orion-E system configuration includes one ground control system using for mission control and data processing, maintenance and support station, one launch and recovery station and one ground terminal. The Orion-E air vehicle is 8 m in length and has a 16 m wingspan.

The surveillance and reconnaissance optics are mounted at the front of the superstructure and it can carry electro-optical and infrared cameras that can be used for ground targets search and detection in visible and infrared spectrum. The optic system is able to measure distance to target with laser target designation capability. The camera can take high resolution aerial photography with pictures storage capacity.